Keeley had loads to consider on the bus journey right down to Maryland. She introduced a ebook to learn however stored placing it down and selecting it again up. She could not focus. Her thoughts stored going again to Aaron’s supply.

At minimal, it could value him a number of hundred thousand {dollars} to persuade a lab to take her on and proceed her analysis the place she left it off. She was about to complete her final trial in the course of the first couple weeks of the semester. All that might be left after that’s about 100 pages of writing it up.

It was viable analysis—the gene remedy had been efficient within the mice—however was it actually value it to do all of that for her?

She knew this was largely guilt-motivated. Aaron wished her to be completely satisfied and reside her desires as a result of she hadn’t been capable of do it earlier than. She knew his different motivation as nicely; he wished to maintain her by his facet.

It was too large of a present. How may she probably settle for it? It could greater than make up for all the things that occurred between them earlier than and would depart her feeling indebted to him without end. She did not need that.

Keeley cared about Aaron. She wished him to be completely satisfied.

The previous month and a half was the happiest she had ever constantly seen him. He wasn’t attempting to cover his feelings anymore so she may plainly see how a lot having her round meant to him.

She was having enjoyable however it was like a break from actuality. This wasn’t how her life labored. She was a standard individual getting a standard diploma and attempting to make her method on the earth.

If he simply up and funded her analysis to get her to remain it could be dishonest! Keeley had labored arduous to get the place she was however so had a bunch of different folks. Bypassing the system due to cash would not be truthful.

Though…she needed to admit she was wavering. She was involved it was egocentric utilizing his cash like that however what about all of the folks dwelling with cystic fibrosis? Her analysis may actually assist them. If she may get began on it 5 to 10 years sooner it may make a distinction for lots extra folks.

Her mind went round and round in circles. She did not know what to assume anymore. Jeffrey and Keisha would hopefully assist her get her thoughts off of issues for some time.

No less than this time she knew for a reality she would not be requested to be a bridesmaid. She’d had greater than sufficient of that for a lifetime.

When she lastly arrived at their home, she was greeted on the door by Keisha and her two excited canine. She had a shiny smile on her face as she reached out to hug Keeley.

“So good to see you! Come on in, Jeff’s making dinner.”

She grinned as she hugged her again. “You positive it may be edible?”

A name of “I heard that!” got here from the kitchen, making each of them snigger.

“In all seriousness although, he is truly fairly respectable within the kitchen. He spent a couple of month jobless after commencement and through that point he made all of the meals as a result of I used to be at work. Now we normally change off.”

They walked into the kitchen and Keeley went for a hug. “Inform me all about what submit grad college life is like! I wish to know what to be ready for,” she mentioned dramatically.

Jeffrey shook his head and bopped her on the shoulder softly together with his fist. “Work is exhausting however there’s the perk of no homework.”

“That is not fully true! I’ve seen you learn over paperwork at residence earlier than,” Keisha mentioned sternly.

“As a result of it was necessary and my boss was on my case! Oh, by no means thoughts. My level is, you’ve extra free time than as a pupil as a result of when you’re executed for the day you are executed. However I am telling you…job looking sucks.”

Keeley had already heard about his issues with that. He began in search of a job again in February and did not discover one till the center of July. She wanted to begin job looking ASAP or she could be in the identical boat.

Oh wait. No she would not. She had Aaron’s supply to fall again on. Ugh, it was nonetheless an excessive amount of to consider!

“Yeah, I am questioning what to do about that myself,” she admitted.

They chatted about work vs college till the entire dinner preparations have been full. Jeffrey had made eggplant parmesan and it was surprisingly good. Keisha was proper; he was respectable within the kitchen.

She puzzled if Lydia knew. The 2 of them used to tease Jeffrey about issues on a regular basis. How was she as of late, anyway? Keeley ought to be higher about texting her.

Being an a.d.u.l.t and managing friendsh.i.p.s is tough. She was fortunate she was capable of get away this weekend to spend time with these two. The final time she noticed them was at Lydia’s marriage ceremony in April.

4 hours does not look like that huge of a distance till you truly need to drive it. She may depend the variety of occasions she had seen Jeffrey since he went to legislation college on one hand.

They sat round laughing and speaking for just a few hours till Keeley introduced up the potential itinerary. “I do not know something about Baltimore; what are one of the best issues to see?”

“Um…Fort McHenry, the Nationwide Aquarium, and the historic sh.i.p.s within the Internal Harbor,” Keisha mentioned. She was the one which grew up right here and knew finest. “We must always have time to hit all of that tomorrow. Or we may break up it up; your name.”

“Let’s play it by ear,” she prompt. “The aquarium sounds enjoyable. One of many guys in Dr. Kim’s lab was researching seahorse genetics so there was a tank in there my first yr of grad college. I bought type of connected to these little guys. It was unhappy once they took the tank away.”

Jeffrey laughed. “Why am I not stunned. Did you cry when your mice died too?”

“I am going to have you already know that solely certainly one of them died and sure, sure I did,” she sniffed.

Out of the blue, one of many mice from her fifth trial batch died. It skewed her analysis barely however did not change the truth that many of the mice did see enchancment. There was nonetheless statistical significance to her findings.

Keisha smiled and made a chilled gesture between the 2 of them. “The aquarium sounds enjoyable. We’ll see what we’re up for after that. Sound good?”

They each nodded a bit mutinously, like babies caught by their mom in an argument. This weekend was going to be enjoyable.